Ever dream of living in an old church? A barn? How about a bunker? For a new slideshow feature, CNBC takes a look at adventurous homeowners who are turning to adaptive reuse instead of building new.

Although there’s nothing quite as satisfying as blogging about a beautiful, newly built home that’s green through and through, I get a real kick out of conversion projects that breathe new life into old structures that may not be the most likely places to call home sweet home. Most of all, I dig the creativity, flexibility, and old-fashioned fashioned chutzpah displayed by many converted homeowners who see potential where most of us don’t: “A long-abandoned, possibly haunted church on the edge of the woods? Sure! Let’s make it work!”

I’ve featured a handful of eco-friendly adaptive reuse projects in recent months from an artsy residence carved out of a 5,000-square-foot former gymnasium/drill hall/electric motor factory in Beacon, N.Y., to a beachside public bathroom turned cottage in England to a trio of disused water tower homes (in Germany, France and Australia).

Last week, CNBC published an excellent slideshow featuring several more one-of-a-kind-converted homes. Among them: a bunker in Bremen, a railroad car in Washington state (my “Boxcar Children” dreams come true!), and my favorite, an auto parts warehouse in Atlanta (that's it pictured above). And yep, there’s a water tower on the list, this one in The Netherlands.

Warehouses, factories, barns, and churches are commonly repurposed into residences, but for the adventurous buyer with a budget for renovation, no structure is off limits as a potential home.

Underground missile silos that have been upcycled into residences have gotten plenty of play in the media, but those smack of refuges from zombie apocalypse. An almost endless supply of innovative converted homes exist that are more inspirational (not to mention blessed with natural daylight and views).

Have you noticed — or are you behind — a notable home conversion project in your neck of the woods? A derelict 7-11 transformed into a charming bungalow? A chicken coop turned into a cozy guesthouse? (I stayed in one over the summer on Long Island’s North Fork and while it was great, the ceilings were a bit low). A barn upcycled into a beautiful four-bedroom home? Tell me about it in the comments section!